Picture-holder.



Patented May 19, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- EMMIE C. ETHERTON AND GLENN E. POWELL, OF ATLANTIC, IOWA.

PICTURE-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 728,559," dated May 19, 1903. Application filed March 27, 1902. Serial No. 100,233. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Beit known that we, EMMIE O. ETHERTON and GLENN E. POWELL, citizens of the United States, and residents of Atlantic, in the county of Cass and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Picture-Holders,

of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. 1

Our invention relates to improvements in.

for use in connection with photographs, pictures, mats, and other flat objects; but it may also be used for plaques and other irregularlyshaped articles.

The device may be equipped with a leg member adapted to support the holder and the article engaged therewith in a standing position, much on the order of an easel.

With these en de in view the invention consists in a picture-holder embodying certainnovel features of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and the actual scope of the invention will be defined by the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figures 1 and 2 are views in rear and edge elevation, respectively, of one embodiment of the invention adapted for service as a stand: ing holder. Figs. 3 and 4 are views in rear and edge elevation of another embodiment of the invention also adapted for use as a stand or easel.

In the construction shown by Figs. 1 and 2 the object-engaging members 5 and 6? are adapted to be drawn together by a coupling member and to be supported by a suitable part. Each side member is provided with long and short portions disposed at an angle one to the other and formed at their end portions with the hooks 8, and, furthermore, each side member is bent or twisted to provide the eye or loop 12 at a point where the angular portions j oin one another. As shown, the members extend across the back of the article, so that the hooks at their lower ends will engage with the lower edge of the object, while the hooks at the upper ends will take over the upper edge of theobject. ling member 7 is approximately ovalin shape, although it is provided with two short curved end portions 13, which are adapted to fit in the eyes 12 of the object-engaging members.

We have equipped the holder with a leg 14, and the article is thus adapted to be placed on a shelf, table, or any other surface, so as to support a picture, &c., similar to an easel. The leg member 14 is in the form of a loop having a tapering top end, and this loop-' shaped member passesthrough the eyes 12 of the side members. The tapered upper portion of the leg member is fitted to or con nected with the coupling member, so as to be retained in .place thereby, and itwilltherefore be seen that the leg member is engaged with the object-engaging members and with The coupthe coupling member, so as to assume the diverging relation to the object-engaging members represented by Fig. 1. The leg member extends to the lower edge of the article and substantially to the lower ends of the objectengaging members, and the holder is thus adapted to support the article in an inclined position on a table, shelf, or other surface. The coupling member serves to draw the objectengaging members toward itself and toward each other, and thus the books 8 are retained firmly in proper position.

In the construction shown by Figs. 3 and 4. the object-engaging members are quite materially modified in'construction, although they are adapted to be drawn together by a coupling member, and the several parts are associated together in such a way that a leg member may be combined therewith in a manner to support the object after the fashion of an easel. One objecberigaging member is indicated at'15, the samehaving two arms disposed in downwardly-diverging relation, the upper ends of the arms meeting or joining each other, so as to engage the top edge of the object, while the lower ends of the arms engage opposite side edges of the object. This member 15 is bent from a single piece of wire to form the upwardly-converging arms 16, which meet each other and constitute the shank, having a hook 17. The branches or arms of the wire diverge from the hook 17 and are provided with eyes 18, which are placed similarly to the eyes 12, and finally these lengths or arms of the wire are bent or extended to form the curved portions 19, which terminate in the hooks 20. The other object-engaging member (indicated at 21) is in the form of a bail, having hooks 22 at its lower ends and an eye 23 at its upper portion.

In applying the holder of Figs. 3 and 4 to an object the member 21 is arranged in rear of the object for its hooks 22 to engage with the lower edge of said object, whereas the member 15 is placed in position by adjusting it for the hooks 17 20 to engage with the top and side edges, respectively, of the object. The coupling member 2% is passed through the eyes 18 23 of the members 1521, so as to draw them toward each other, and thus the members are adapted to be held firmly in place by the coupling member. The coupling member 24 is elongated somewhat similar to a loop, and the end portions of said member are united after passing the wires through the eyes 18 23 by interlocking eyes. The upper end portion of the loop-shaped coupling member 2-1 is bent laterally, and with this bent portion of the loop member 24: is engaged the upper end of the leg member 26. This leg member passes through the eyes 18 of the member 15, and it is bent at a point intermediate of its length. The short inclined portion of the angular leg member is fitted to or engaged with the angular upper end of the coupling member, while the long portion of the leg member extends at an angle to the other members of the holder. This leg member is adapted to support the object in an inclined position, similar to an easel, and it may be applied with the same facility as the other forms of construction hereinbefore disclosed.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A holder of the class described, comprising object-engaging members provided with eyes, a coupling member fitted in said eyes, and a suitable supporting device adapted to have engagement with the object members and the coupling member.

2. A holder of the class described, comprising object-engaging members, a coupling member having -operative connection with said first-named members, and adapted to draw them into engagement with an article, and a leg member engaging with the object members and the coupling member and occupying a diverging relation thereto.

A holder of the class described, comprising object -engaging members having hooks, and the intermediate eyes, a coupling member engaging with said eyes of the object members, and a diverging leg member fitted in the eyes of the object members and having engagement with the coupling member.

-l. A holder of the class described having object members, a coupling member connected therewith, and a leg member attached to said object members.

5. A holder of the class described having object members, acouplingmemberconnected therewith, and a leg member attached to the object members and engaging frictionally with the coupling member.

6. A holder of the class described having object members, a coupling member connected therewith, and a leg member attached to the object members and having an inclined portion arranged to bind frictionally against the coupling member.

In testimony whereof'we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMMIE G. ETHERTON. GLENN E. POWELL.

lVitnesses:

A. J. HARRISON, S. HARRISON. 

